Mini Review Saturday: February Wrap Up

Hey Everyone,

This week's Mini Review Saturday, I will be wrapping up my reading month and reviewing all the books I read in February. There is still 2 days until the end of the month but they will be pretty busy for me and so I don't think I will get any more reading done. I had a pretty easy going month of reading as I only read 6 books with all of them being graphic novels/manga. Before we begin, I would like to point out that most of these reviews will not be as long as I usually write them due to it being apart of a series (to avoid spoilers) or because I have a full review of it coming soon. So sorry in advance for being brief.

Now let's dive right into it!!

Title: Username: Evie
Author: Joe Sugg
Publication Year: 2015 
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads Link: 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25588761-username
Sentence Summary: Evie wants nothing more than to escape reality but what will happen if she actually gets given that option.
Mini Review: When Joe Sugg announced that he would be creating a graphic novel I honestly got really excited. I have been a big fan of his work on Youtube for a couple of years and was happy to see that he would be publishing a book. It has taken me a while to finally pick up a copy and read it but I'm glad I finally did it. I'm going to start off by saying that this isn't the greatest graphic novel I've read but it was definitely a good debut for Sugg. I found this book to be quite a fast read as I read it in one sitting. From the very first page, there is action and intrigue which then continues throughout the book. Although there were moments when I felt like the story was moving forward too quickly which kind of took away from the story. I think this would have worked really well as a graphic novel series as there was plenty more that could have been written about all the characters. I was also not a huge fan of the art style. I haven't read any other graphic novel with this type of art style and it just made it less enjoyable to read. In saying that, I did like the way the landscapes and buildings looked in the illustrations as they were really well done. I think I just had a problem with the way the people looked. There was an odd look to them that I wasn't expecting when first browsed through the book. Overall, it was a good book but
I would of just liked to have seen more about the world and the characters. As a debut graphic novel, Joe Sugg did really well. I will definitely read his next graphic novel if he decides to publish another one.
Star Rating: 3/5 Stars

Book Tag Friday: My Intimidating TBR Pile Tag

Hey Everyone,

Today's post is a tag that I saw on Lindsey's Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/LindseyRey) which is called the "My Intimidating TBR Pile Tag". This is an original tag created by her a couple of years ago which she recently did again. I have a large TBR and so I figured this would be the perfect tag. If you would like to see Lindsey's video the link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UdCveZR5cI.

Let's Get Started!!!

1. What book have you been unable to finish?

Lexicon by Max Barry - It wasn't that it was a bad book but it got a little confusing for me to read since I don't read a lot of books in that genre and so I put it down to read something else. I do still want to read it but at the moment it's just not something I think I'll be reading for a while.

February Book Haul (2016)

Hey Everyone,

Today's post is my February book haul! This month is a little different to last month's book haul as this time, I will just be putting all the books in the one post rather than separate ones. This month I didn't get a lot of books due to my current book buying ban. So without further ado here are all the exciting books I got in the month of February.

FICTION:

Title: Dumplin'
Author: Julie Murphy
Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18304322-dumplin
Short Summary: Willowdean Dickson knows who she is and accepts the fact that she is a plus size girl until she met Bo. As she begins to doubt herself, she decides that she needs to get her confidence back and what better way to do that than to enter in a beauty pageant.

Top 5 Wednesday: Worst Love Interests

Hey Everyone,

Welcome to another Top 5 Wednesday. Today's topic is the five worst love interests in fiction. Rarely ever do I dislike the love interest of a character but there are a few I can think of. I'm also going to be adding graphic novel characters into the mix as well. I don't want to spoil any of the books I'm about to mention, so I won't be going into detail as to why I disliked them but I will give a couple sentence explanation.

HERE WE GO!!!

5. Ramona Flowers from the Scott Pilgrim Series

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29800.Scott_Pilgrim_s_Precious_Little_Life)

Don't get me wrong, Scott Pilgrim is my favourite graphic novel series but sometimes I really thought that Ramona didn't really match with Scott. There were moments that were perfect but other times she was quite irritating. On her own, she is an interesting character though.

Review Tuesday: Binge By Tyler Oakley

Hey Everyone,

Today's post is a review of Binge by Tyler Oakley which is a biography I read at the end of the year last year.

Let's get straight into it!

Title: Binge
Author: Tyler Oakley
First Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Goodreads Link: 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26165334-binge

Plot Summary: Tyler Oakley is one of the biggest names in Youtube with over 21 million followers across his Social Medias but how did he get from a normal life in his hometown of Michigan to where he is today? In his first autobiography, Oakley walks readers through the important events in his life that reflect his journey to his current success. Well known for making videos where he recalls humorous tales of his misadventures as well as inspiring his audience to enjoy their lives, Oakley tries to help his viewers keep a positive attitude. Now viewers can read new stories never before told in his videos and exclusive to his biography. Join Tyler as he digs up memories from his childhood through to adulthood.

Mini Review Saturday: Graphic Novels

Hey Everyone,

Today's post is a compilation of mini reviews of graphic novels I have read but have yet to post about on this blog. So without further introduction here are four mini graphic novel reviews.

Title: The Sculptor
Author: Scott McCloud
Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: First Second
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22040598-the-sculptor
Sentence Summary: David, A young sculptor, makes a deal with death that allows him to sculpt whatever he can think of but at what price will he have to pay?
Mini Review: This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2015 and I'm so glad I finally got to read it. I didn't know very much about this book going into it but I saw samples of the art online and really wanted to read it. I put it off for a while until I saw a wrap up from one of my favourite Youtubers and they mentioned it. This is definitely a much darker story than I thought it would be and it was very different to what I'm used to reading. At times I did get confused with what was happening as there were many moments where the story was left to the reader to interpret themselves. I really loved the artwork (which is in a blue type of shade) in this book as I felt it was very detailed and was able to tell the story really well through the images. It had a slow start but as it all wrapped up in the end, I really started to enjoy it. I also loved Meg and David. I felt they were quite relatable in their emotions and the way they saw things. They were quite complex characters with a lot of interesting quirks in their personality which I found really fascinating to read about. Overall it was a fantastic read and which I definitely recommend for avid graphic novels readers. There is a bit of mature content so I would recommend it to mature readers. I will definitely be reading more of Scott McCloud's work.
Star Rating: 4.5/5 Stars.

Book Tag Friday: A To Z Bookish Survey Tag (Graphic Novel Edition)

Hey Everyone,

Today's post is a "tag" (but more of just a survey) that Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner blog (http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/) created that looked like a lot of fun. It is an A - Z survey, where there are bookish questions associated with each letter of the alphabet and you have to answer them. Although I'm going to be putting my own twist on it by answering most the questions with graphic novels since I have read quite a few amazing ones. Some of the questions may be similar to the tag I did last week but I still think it would be fun to do. Please comment me some tags you would like to see me do in the future :)

If you would like to see Jamie's original post the link is:
http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/2013/08/some-friday-fun.html

So let's get into it!

Author You've Read The Most Books From:

Bryan Lee O'Malley! I have read all of his works and will continue to read anything he publishes in the future.

Where Do I Get My Books?

Hey everyone,

Today's post is all about the services I use to obtain my reading materials. Like many people, I much prefer to have physical books to read that I purchase for my collection, but lately I've been looking into different services to use that could help me save a little more money. So here is a list of services that I currently use that I think are really awesome (well besides regular bookshops of course).

Physical Books:

• Local Libraries: I've joined a couple of the different local libraries over the last couple years and have found that libraries generally have a really good selection. I use the online catalogues of my libraries to check if they have books that I have been meaning to pick up but just haven't and most often they do have them. This is a great way to save money as memberships are free and there is always new books being added to the collection. Libraries also have book sales of ex library books which are usually really cheap. One library I use, constantly has a table out the front of the library that has books for sale on it. They usually are about 20 cents each which is awesome when grabbing out of print books or hardcovers.

• Op Stores: I love to go op shopping! Around where I work, there is a lot of different charity stores that sells some pretty good books for around $2 - $5. I usually try to go when there is great deals such as fill a bag full of books for $10. I don't usually visit second hand book stores because the books are usually priced higher so I try to avoid them unless I'm really looking for something. 

Top 5 Wednesday: Best Suggested Books You Loved

Hey Everyone,

I have recently joined the Goodreads group called "Top 5 Wednesdays" (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday). This means that every Wednesday, I will be making a top 5 post based on the topic stated on the group page. This week's topic is the best books to have been suggested to me that I have loved. So I hope you like these kinds of posts and please check out the group's page and join in the fun. I've had so many great recommendations over the years but here are the ones I loved the most.

5. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41865.Twilight)

I was recommended this book by an old friend of mine in high school. At the time it seemed like everyone was reading it and loving it. She recommended/lent it to me but I didn't have high hopes for it. To my surprise, I really loved it and became obsessed with the whole series and the movies. Even now when people make fun of it or say how bad it is, I just think about how much I still love it. 

Review Tuesday: One Day By David Nicholls

Hey Everyone,

Today's post is a review of One Day by David Nicholls which is a book I read a couple of years ago. I have decided to make Tuesdays a day where I do full reviews on books I have recently read or have read in the past. Let us dive straight into it:

Title: One Day
Author: David Nicholls
First Publication Year: 2001
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6280118-one-day
Plot Summary: The date is July 15th 1988, and two unlikely friends make a connection that might just last a lifetime. Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley officially meet on the night of their graduation and decide to spend the night in each other's company. In the wake of the next morning they decide to stay friends and go their separate ways to pursue their own futures. Set over a span of 20 years on the same date that they met, where will their relationship lead them?

Mini Review Saturday: Adult Fiction

Hey Everyone,

For today's post I decided to do mini reviews on a few books I have read. I have chosen to make Saturdays a day where I just review 3 - 4 books that i have yet to review on this blog.  So here are some book reviews for three adult fiction books I have read.

Title: You're The One That I Want
Author: Giovanna Fletcher
Publication Year: 2014
Publisher: Penguin
Goodreads Link: 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20877628-you-re-the-one-that-i-want

Sentence Summary: The story follows 3 best friends (Robert, Ben & Maddy) but as a love triangle begins to form; love, heartache and betrayal soon follow.

Mini Review: I found this book very interesting to read as it told from the perspective of Ben and Maddy at different points in their life but it also has that added view from Robert, in between chapters in the form of his wedding speech. I felt like this book much more relatable than Fletcher's previous book as I had more of a connection to these characters than with the characters in her last book. I definitely loved Ben the most in this story and definitely was on his side. A lot of the time I got annoyed at Maddy by the things she said or did but that didn't really stop me enjoying the story. I loved watching these characters grow from primary into after college. There were some predictable and cheesy moments but it didn't bother me and at times it did make me swoon. Finally I loved how the beginning and the end connected together to bring the story around a full circle. I really feel the writer's way of writing is getting better with every book and it getting me excited to read her latest book (Dream A Little Dream) as well as other work she may publish. This is definitely one I will recommend to my friends.

Star Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Book Tag: Fifty Bookish Questions

Hey Everyone,

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few of days but I have some great posts planned for the next week. Today's post is a tag I found on another book blog called "My Little Book Blog" which is called the Fifty Bookish Questions Tag. This is the perfect tag for me to start off with so that readers can get to know me. If you would like to see the "My Little Book Blog" post that inspired this post, the link is: http://mylittlebookblog.com/2016/01/15/the-fifty-bookish-questions-book-tag/ , so lets get straight into it.

1. What was the last book you read?

I'm currently trying to read the Sailor Moon manga series and so the last book I read was Sailor Moon: Volume Two Manga.

2. Was it a good one?

It was so good!! Way better than the first volume.

3. What made it good?

A lot of the series gets built around the events that get revealed in this volume. It has so much passion and determination from the characters throughout it. There was so many things that made me just love the series all over again.

4. Would you recommend it to other people?

January Book Haul: Novellas & Non Fiction Books

Hey Everyone,

Here are the rest of the books I got in January excluding the children's books which I have posted on my Instagram. I only got a couple of non fiction books and novellas and so I figured I would put them into a post together.

Also I've been thinking whether or not I should haul the ebooks I bought as well, so please let me know if you would be interested in seeing that.

So here they are :)

NOVELLAS:

Title: Christmas With Billy And Me
Author: Giovanna Fletcher
Publication Year: 2014
Publisher: Penguin
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23508779-christmas-with-billy-and-me

January Book Haul: Fiction Books

Hey Everyone,

Here is part two of my January book haul where I show you all the fiction books I got through out the month. I enjoyed the process of making yesterday's post, so please let me know what you think of this format.

Lets dive right into it :)

Title: Twenties Girl
Author: Sophie Kinsella

Publication Year: 2009
Publisher: Bantam Press
Goodreads Link: 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6096184-twenties-girl

Title: The Castle In The Pyrenees
Author: Jostein Gaarder
Publication Year: 2010
Publisher: Orion Publishing
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6697910-the-castle-in-the-pyrenees

January Book Haul: Graphic Novels

Hey Everyone,

Here are all the graphic novels I got in January :) I have organised my book haul into multiple posts for different categories so you can skip to the section you would like to read.

The majority of the graphic novels I got were for the DC comic event that happened mid last year which was the Convergence event.

Title: Convergence (0-8 bind up)
Author:Various Authors
Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: DC Comics
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25607370-convergence

Title: Convergence: Crisis (Book 1 & 2)
Author: Various Authors
Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: DC Comics
Goodreads Links:
Book 1: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25614325-convergence
Book 2: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25614326-convergence

2016 Is The Year!!!

Hey Guys,

So I am finally back to blogging on this platform after about 2 years of no posts. I have been doing a lot of reviews and other bookish posts over on my Instagram, Tumblr & Goodreads while I haven't been here and I have also done some posts on the QBD blog with a main focus on graphic novels. So I have been doing a lot of bookish things over the last couple of years but have been neglecting my main platform which is this blog. I will still be posting on all those platforms I mentioned (which i will link at the top of the blog page) but I do plan to post more on here each week.

I have a lot of really exciting ideas to expand this blog and make it more fun for all my readers, so watch this space as well as all my other social medias to see all the cool things I plan to do this year. My goal is the someday join the Booktubing community by posting videos on Youtube channel. At the moment, I am still trying to grow my skills at talking about books as well as be more confident in front of a camera but I hope by this time next year, I will be posting consistently on all my platforms including my Youtube channel.

I plan to put 110% into my blogging from now. I may not be a great reviewer but that's what I plan to work on. I hope you all will enjoy my future posts and that you will join me to improve and grow my blog.

2016 is the year of blogging!!!!

<3 Louise